Not Alone Anymore
by secretly-eager-to-please077
Summary: Naruto has always been alone, that is until a certain raven came to his rescue. SasuNaru


**This is the rewrite I promised. I hope you enjoy this, it's much better than my original. ~Secretly**

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He walked in the middle of the crowed street. All around him he heard hushed whispers, all shunning him. In this little 'Village hidden in the Leaves' a young boy lives alone, in a small hut. He is only eleven years old, and already has to fend for himself. Iruka sensei was nice enough to give him some money to buy necessities for his little home. As he walked down the street he could pick out the things said about him. 'Look it's that kid, the one whose parents were murdered.', 'I heard it was because they were drug dealers.' That isn't the truth though, the real story goes, on a night like any other, men broke into the Uzumaki household. They had an agenda that the young boy could never understand. His mother woke him that night in a panic, his father had gone to confront the intruders. At the young age of 7, he was just small enough to fit out the tiny bathroom window. Mother was not. She stayed to help Father, but before she left him, she said, "Run Naruto, run until you can't see the house, then keep running. Get as far as you can. Daddy and I will find you. I promise baby. I love you so much my angel. Daddy and I both do, never forget that."

She had tears in her eyes when she turned back towards the main room. Naruto didn't know if he'd see them again, but he'd hope as hard as he could. He ran, just as Mother instructed, ran and ran till he couldn't take another step. With finality, Naruto collapsed to the dirt street. He turn back in the direction of his home and saw black smoke rising viciously, was that his home burning so bright? Was mom and dad okay? Young Naruto had no answers. The last thing he remember before exhaustion took its greedy hold of his small body was a man with kind, concerned eyes gathering him into strong arms.

When he regained consciousness, he told his story to the kind-eyed man. He later learned his name was Umino Iruka, a teacher at the local junior high school. His neighbor Hatake Kakashi also listened to the story, when he urged the boy to go to the police, Naruto refused. Who would believe the town liar? The one boy they could guarantee to lie even about his parents death?

It was two weeks before he went to the authorities, by then, they didn't believe a word he said. What child would wait two weeks before saying something about his parents death? I had to be a cover story that he was coached to say, he was a notorious liar. Perhaps it was because his parents were into some bad things, taught their kid from the beginning to lie. One could never be to careful you see, every possibility had to be thoroughly investigated. It was a "fruitless case" and discarded after a few weeks, no one wanted to dip their toes in a possible gang related case.

Iruka and Kakashi were the only ones to believe Naruto's story; they tried to convince others that he was telling the truth. But no one believed them either, and Naruto couldn't blame them, why would you trust a little liar? Finally arriving at his destination, Ichiraku Ramen Bar, Naruto sat at a far stool. Glancing at the other occupants dining, they steered clear of him. One might catch his disease if in too close contact. He ordered a bowl of miso ramen, and dug in. He pointedly ignored the stares of the people gathered at the other end of the counter. It's a constant in Naruto's life to have _someone's_ eyes on him.

Once the eleven-year-old finished his second bowl, he paid the tender and walked towards the abandoned field at the edge of town. This was his thinking space, the only place he could be alone, besides the cramped quarters of his make-shift home. Naruto came here often, just to get out of that crowded town and be isolated as long as possible. He walked to the middle of the field and fell to his back on the soft grass. Looking up at the sky, his only friend in a sea of enemies, he thought of his long since passed parents. Were they watching over him? Did they see the struggles of his life? The mistreatment from the other villagers, the hatred in their eyes?

The tears gathered at the corners of his eyes again. How many times had he cried? How many tears had he shed for the lost of his family? How many more tears would fall before he found closure? Rolling to his side, Naruto cried quietly, no one to comfort him. So absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the soft sounds of approaching foot falls. It was a boy, about the same age, dark, almost black eyes stared down at him. What was the look in those deep eyes? It wasn't pity, nor sadness, but a deep-set understanding. He knelt in front of Naruto with fluid motions, graceful to every extent. Was it practiced, or natural? Naruto guessed he'd never know. The boy put his hand to Naruto's cheek, his hand was warm and left a tingle that traveled to the recesses of Naruto's heart. He looked up into the mysterious boy's dark beautiful eyes and saw something he hadn't seen in a long time; friendship. The kind that makes you feel better, protects you from the world. His expressionless face lit up with a small smile when he wiped away Naruto's tears and no more came.

"Come on, get up and come with me." His voice rang like bells, mesmerized by this boy, Naruto got up and followed him. The boy with black eyes led him to a big boulder near the woods. He sat, leaning against it in the grass and patted the spot next to him. Hesitantly, Naruto sat next to him, his body stiff, eyes riveted to the pale skin of his newly acquired companion.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked in a small voice.

"Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke." He held out his hand expectantly.

Who was Naruto to refuse the first sign of friendship outside of Iruka or Kakashi? He grasped the hand lightly and shook, "Uzumaki Naruto. Why are you here?"

"I know who you are, and you ask an awful lot of questions." Sasuke's expression never changed. The smile he'd seen before had been so beautiful, where had it gone?

Naruto's cheeks stained a light red, "Are you going to answer?" Sasuke sighed.

"You're lonely, aren't you?" the pale one looked to him. Naruto looked down at his hands, shrugging narrow shoulders indifferently.

"It comes with the territory." It came out in a whisper.

"I guess you're right. Being alone is hard, no one should have to endure it like we have." Sasuke stared quietly for a minute before continuing, "I know the real story of your parent's deaths. I believe you." It was said so nonchalantly. The blonde blanched at his bluntness, who _was_ this boy?

"Then you know they weren't bad people. That I got away because of them. That I was only a little boy."

"I do, I'm sorry that no one else will believe you. I'm sorry your alone." Sasuke stared into Naruto's eyes for a long moment. Empathy, not sympathy. It was refreshing, but at the same time sad that he wasn't the only one.

"You seem to know so much about me, yet I only know your name. How have we not met until now?"

"I don't know, I've set up camp on the other side of town, maybe that's why. I usually don't stray to far from home."

"What happened?" No need to specify, Sasuke knew.

His mood turned somber, a far away look clouding his eyes, "I was eight, I'd gone to school like any other morning. But when I got home.. No one was left. A man from a village over had come and slaughtered them all. He still hasn't been found, and everyone's sure he'll never be."

"You didn't have anyone to take you in? A neighbor, anyone?" the blonde shook his head, astonished. The people in this village.

"There were plenty of people who could have taken me in, but none of them wanted to. It's not that they didn't want me around, they were scared that who ever killed my family would come back to kill me, as well. He never came, but by then I had been on my own for a few years and I refused their help. What did I need them for now?" Sasuke's bangs covered his eyes, shielding Naruto from his emotions.

Naruto's eyes welled with tears again, but this time for Sasuke and his tragedies. "Well then we have something in common, we're both lonely and have no family." A rueful smile pulled at the blonde's lips.

They were silent for many long, thoughtful moments. Finally Sasuke spoke quietly, perhaps trying not to disturb the peace between them, "we don't have to be lonely Naruto, not anymore. I'm here now, we can be alone, together." Sasuke put his arm around Naruto's shoulders and pulled him to his chest. Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's torso. His words reverberated through Naruto's head _'we don't have to be lonely.' _Those words were spinning, swirling, nudging into that blonde head. Then finally he realized, 'this is my chance at a good friendship, at the love that I've wanted so bad'. The love of a friend, someone who cares. Naruto squeezed Sasuke tighter, determined to never let him go.

**Please review and tell me what you think, thanks!**


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